The 2014 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia is a remarkable red wine from the renowned Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Italy. Crafted by the esteemed producer Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, this wine is a blend of various grape varieties, making it a proprietary blend. With its deep red color and elegant label, it exudes sophistication and allure.
Upon pouring, the wine reveals its tightly wound and silky nature, a characteristic reminiscent of the Ornellaias made under the estate's previous ownership with the Marchese Lodovico Antinori in the mid-1990s. This vintage showcases the unique qualities of the 2014 growing season, with the advanced age of the vines and their extensive root systems preserving the fruit quality despite a cool summer and late harvest.
The nose is greeted with an array of sweet fruit nuances, including blackberry and dark currant, accompanied by hints of spice, leather, and tobacco. These aromas create a multi-dimensional bouquet that entices the senses. On the palate, the wine offers a medium to full body and firm, silky tannins that provide a smooth and refined texture.
Notable wine critics have praised the 2014 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia for its exceptional qualities. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded it a score of 94, noting its beautiful saturation and dark appearance, as well as its acidic prickle that ensures a lengthy drinking window of ten to fifteen years. James Suckling awarded it a score of 95, highlighting its floral and fresh characteristics, along with its pretty finish of fruit, smoke, toasted oak, and spice.
Despite the challenging vintage, Jeb Dunnuck commends the 2014 Ornellaia, rating it 95. He praises its classy cassis and black cherry fruits, accompanied by notes of saddle leather, dried flowers, and spicy oak. The wine exhibits solid mid-palate depth, beautiful balance, and a great finish, making it a seamless Ornellaia to enjoy over the next 15+ years or more.
Toast, underbrush, tobacco leaf, and cassis aromas dominate the nose, as mentioned by Wine Enthusiast, which awarded the wine a score of 91. The palate reflects the cool, wet vintage, offering an austere and lighter-bodied profile than usual. Raw cherry, pomegranate, licorice, and ground pepper flavors intertwine with tight, close-grained tannins, suggesting that the wine will benefit from several more years of aging to fully unwind.
The 2014 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia is a wine that embodies the essence of Bolgheri, showcasing the unique characteristics of the region and the exceptional craftsmanship of its producer. With its complexity, elegance, and potential for aging, it is an outstanding choice for wine enthusiasts and collectors alike.